Thank a member of the armed forces today–from the archives

Veterans Day seems like a good time to bring these thoughts back up. Hope you’re well.

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In all of the craziness that’s going down in our world, between the hurricanes and fires and mass shootings and the National Anthem protests and so much more, it’s no wonder that we sometimes forget that we’re a nation at war. Not only are we a nation at war, but we’re a nation at many wars. No, we may only be at war in one place, Afghanistan–I think that’s the only place we’re fighting a declared war right now–but we have men and women in battle in various locations around the globe. I think those people would agree with me when I say that, whether war has been declared or not. if you’re in an armed military situation and there’s a chance you might get killed, it’s war.

And we forget, don’t we? When was the last time you thought about the war or any of the other grave situations our fighting men and women are currently in? I’ll admit, for me it has been a while. The notion of war has become an abstract concept for me. If you ask me if we’re at war, I know the answer. Still, the fact that we are at war is just out there, floating, just lightly tethered. It’s not unlike the planes flying off to fight another war in Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451.

And that’s cool. If we were asked if it’s better to be at war and forget that we are or to be at war and be reminded of it regularly, without thinking, I’d say a good many of us would choose the forgetting. And I’d be all for forgetting about war…if it wasn’t for those fighting men and women.

If we forget the war, then we have to forget them too, at least that part of what they do. I’m not cool with that. Instead, I think we need to remember them even more, love them even more, and be even more thankful for them. God love them; God love those beautiful people.

This is just a note of thanks to them. It’s for the ones who have served as well as the ones who know the time when they will be serving later, but most of all it’s for those who are there right now. There are so many of them living so many days that could be their last, and they’re taking that risk for us.

So, friends, I want you to do something for me today and tomorrow and as often as you can going forward; I want you show these service men and women your appreciation in some way. However you do it, it doesn’t matter, but when you get the chance, let them know how proud of them we are for what they’re doing for us and how thankful we are for what they’re risking for us and how special they make us feel with their courage and their wills. I don’t care if you have some political stance against the wars and conflicts; these people didn’t make the decisions that put them where they are; they are only following orders, and they deserve nothing short of our love and thanks.

Thank you, friends; I want you to share this one. I don’t want you to do so for my benefit; rather, I want us to remind as many people of what we needed a little reminder of as well. I hope you have a wonderful day, safe inside the freedoms those folks are risking their lives for.

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Published by paulelmo

I am a West Virginia writer relocated to Pennsylvania. My wife, Becky, and I are raising two wonderful boys, Finnegan, ten, and Simon, six.
Dear friends,
Welcome to our website.
I am a Christian and a bartender. An alcoholic in recovery and a passionate lover of music, my writing reflects these things.
I began writing regularly in the early to mid-90s, and I have worked toward being a full-time freelance writer since then. During my time as a bartender, I did go back to school, obtaining a BA from West Virginia State University, graduating Magna, learning a second language, publishing, and editing.
Since then, it has been more writing toward the freelance goal. I'm making some headway too; I'm writing financial technology (fintech) analysis for Lending Times and about to expand that role with the company's forthcoming publication, Blockchain Times. This has brought a new flavor to my thoughts, and don't be surprised when you come upon something about blockchain tech, Ethereum, or bitcoin among these pages.
I appreciate you stopping by. If you're not sure what you're looking for, you can scroll down to the search field and search "What to read on here" (Don't use the quotation marks), and you'll see a list of posts that I feel represent the website well.
Thanks. I look forward to hearing any thoughts you have.
Until soon.
Paul Keenan
Orrtanna, PA
1/23/2018
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